Saturday, February 28, 2009

Love at First Bite

Went to Cafe Condesa in the West Village for dinner last night. It's a cute and cozy (but not overly cramped) restaurant that serves American cuisine with a "Mexican influence." We ordered a bottle of Tomero Cabarnet Sauvignon (an excellent choice: warm and fruity) and dinner. In print, the vegetable plate doesn't sound all that appetizing, but after hearing the waitress' detailed description of it, I became intrigued. It was actually quite tasty: sauteed broccoli rabe, asparagus, brussel sprouts, spinach, and seasoned mashed potatoes.

But the best part of the entire dining experience by far was the dessert: a chocolate souffle with a scoop of Mexican cinnamon ice cream. (How is cinnamon from south of the border any different? I still don't know.) How on earth could I have never tried a souffle before last night?! It was truly a taste sensation. A softer, gooier version of a chocolate truffle--but in cake form. Warm, oozing dark chocolate that spills out of the light, airy, and moist cake that surrounds it? Absolute heaven. Really. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. My taste buds rejoiced in the contrast in textures and temperatures. And I'm just talking about the souffle. (The ice cream was delicious as well, though I'm not sure it entirely complemented the cake. Individually? Fantastic. But cinnamon + chocolate? The jury is still out.)